Hazare praises Modi, Nitish; asks CMs to emulate

Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar were praised by anti-corruption
activist Anna Hazare for their efforts on rural development,
with the Gandhian saying that their counterparts in other
states should emulate them.

New Delhi: Chief Ministers Narendra Modi
and Nitish Kumar were on Sunday praised by anti-corruption
activist Anna Hazare for their efforts on rural development,
with the Gandhian saying that their counterparts in other
states should emulate them.

"The way the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Bihar have
worked in their states, this should be adopted by other Chief
Ministers. The Chief Ministers of other states should also
work like this," 73-year-old Hazare, who successfully led the
agitation on Lokpal Bill issue, told reporters here.

At the same, Hazare maintained that he is not viewing
it from any partisan angle but only highlighting that the
focus of development works should be from the grassroot level.

When a reporter referred to the 2002 riots in Gujarat
when Modi was in power, the Gandhian said that he was only
talking about the work of a chief minister and does not want
to go into politics.

"I do not support communal politics, riots or any such
thing. I am only talking about decentralisation of power,"
Hazare said.

When pointed out that Modi has not appointed a
Lokayukta for the past nine years in Gujarat, he said, "I will
accept Modi as 100 per cent ideal when he brings Lokayukta in
his state."

Congress MP Rashid Alvi reacted sharply to Hazare`s
comments saying "no secular person in the country can support
Modi.

"If you support Modi, you are supporting the massacre
of 2002," he said, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, however, praised
Hazare for appreciating the work done in the party-ruled
state.

"These are NDA-ruled states. Concrete steps are being
taken there against corruption. This is good that he cited
both the states as examples.

"There are many other NDA-ruled states where good work
is being done against corruption. We appreciate that he has
praised us," he said.

At the press conference, Hazare also denied any
"personal" animosity with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

"There is no rift with Pawar. Six Ministers had to go
on corruption charges. Why only name Pawar. My fight is
against the trend and not against one Pawar. It is the deed
not the person that I object to and fight against," he said.

Activist Arvind Kejriwal dismissed suggestions that
Hazare had invited Pawar to be part of his agitation for
Lokpal Bill saying the "question does not arise".